Kelvin Hayden facts for kids
Hayden in 2010
|
|||||||||||||
| No. 26, 24 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | July 23, 1983 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Hubbard (Chicago, Illinois) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Illinois | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2005 / Round: 2 / Pick: 60 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Kelvin Darnell Hayden Jr. was a professional American football player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Kelvin played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Indianapolis Colts picked him in the 2005 NFL draft.
He is famous for a big play in Super Bowl XLI. He caught an interception and ran it 56 yards for a touchdown. This helped the Colts win against his hometown team, the Chicago Bears. Hayden also played for the Bears and the Atlanta Falcons.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Kelvin Hayden grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He went to Hubbard High School. He was a starter on the football team for four years.
As a freshman, he played cornerback. He caught ten interceptions and was named to the All-Area team. In his sophomore year, he was a quarterback. He threw for 21 touchdowns and ran for seven more. As a junior, he played tailback. He rushed for over 2,100 yards. Kelvin was a big fan of the Chicago Bears when he was young.
College Football Journey
Playing at Joliet Junior College
After high school, Hayden went to Joliet Junior College for two years. He was a great player there. He caught 115 passes for 1,839 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was named All-Conference and All-Region twice.
Kelvin helped Joliet JC win 21 games in a row. They won the 2002 NJCAA National Championship. In his second year, he was the NJCAA National Offensive Player of the Year. He caught 72 passes for 1,297 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was also named the MVP of the 2002 National Championship game.
Moving to the University of Illinois
In 2003, Hayden transferred to the University of Illinois. He led the Fighting Illini in catches and receiving yards. He had 52 catches for 592 yards that year.
Before the 2004 season, he changed positions. He switched from receiver to cornerback. He started all 11 games. He made 71 tackles and caught four interceptions.
Professional NFL Career
Time with the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts picked Kelvin Hayden in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft. This was the 60th pick overall.
In his second season, Hayden made a huge play. It was in Super Bowl XLI. He caught his first career interception from Rex Grossman. He ran it 56 yards for a touchdown. This helped the Colts beat the Chicago Bears 29-17. During his time with the Colts, he had 239 total tackles and nine interceptions. Three of his interceptions were returned for touchdowns. He also scored a touchdown on a 26-yard fumble recovery in 2006.
Playing for the Atlanta Falcons
Hayden played one year for the Atlanta Falcons. He had 16 total tackles and two interceptions during that season.
Joining the Chicago Bears
On April 5, 2012, Kelvin signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears. In a game against the Tennessee Titans, he recovered two forced fumbles. In 2012, Hayden was one of five players who led the league in fumble recoveries. He had four that year.
He signed another one-year deal to return to the Bears in 2013. However, he suffered a torn hamstring injury in August 2013. This injury caused him to miss the entire 2013 season. He was placed on the injured reserve list. Hayden signed with the Bears again in February 2014. He was later released and then re-signed to help with team injuries. He was released again in September 2014.
Personal Life
Kelvin Hayden was engaged to actress Taraji P. Henson starting in May 2018. However, their engagement ended in October 2020.
